Category: BASEBALL

Inter-active

InterAc All-Stars rally in late innings again, topple Tri-Cape All-Stars in bottom of ninth for first Carpenter Cup title

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PHILADELPHIA – Over the past four summers the Tri-Cape All-Stars have experienced almost every emotion a baseball team can feel. They’ve been over the moon winning Carpenter Cup championships in 2021 and 2022 and they felt the despair of losing in the championship game last year.

But even as the rosters change each year nothing could compare to the hurt they felt Wednesday when they lost this year’s title game in Citizens Bank Park after leading with six outs to go.

InterAc, a championship game first-timer with at least one big-league prospect on its roster, pushed across two runs in the eighth inning to tie the game and then scored an unearned run in the ninth to pull out a 3-2 win.

“It’s awful,” Pennsville junior Peyton O’Brien said. “To come all this way and then to lose, especially when we were up the whole game and we thought we were going to win and to lose it late it just sucks. You always hate losing no matter what.”

Tri-Cape led 2-0 going into the bottom of the eighth, but InterAc tied the game on Cole Kirschner’s two-run double to right center. They scored the game winner off William Grayson (Oakcrest), one of two pitchers Tri-Cape manager D.J. Gore added late Tuesday night to give them enough arms to compete.

The ninth started when Tri-Cape third baseman Guy Lynam misplayed leadoff man Lucas Albert’s bunt into a two-base error. Albert (Germantown Academy) went to third on a wild pitch and scored the game-winner with a head-first slide on Jimmy Amplo’s sacrifice fly to left field.

It was a familiar scenario for InterAc. They won their semifinal game against defending champion Jersey Shore Tuesday with a four-run rally in the ninth.

“I like them,” Gore assessed of the InterAc team. “It’s an all-star team. For us, when we talk about, like, our St. Augustine Prep and Gloucester Catholic, it’s similar to what that is over there.

“Very good franchise. You see a Louisville commit, potential major-league draft pick, start the game against us. We had our 1 going, too, and I think it was a treat for the fans to watch there. It’s a really good franchise. They do things the right way. We just needed to play a little better today.”

Tri-Cape All-Stars manager D.J. Gore gathers his team after it just lost to InterAc in the bottom of the ninth inning of the Carpenter Cup championship game. Schalick’s Luke Pokrovsky (44) is in the foreground.

Tri-Cape did have the go-ahead runner in scoring position twice in the top of the ninth, but couldn’t bring it home. They also came up empty with a runner at second and one out in the fourth and bases loaded with two outs in the seventh after having Jack Mustaro (Gloucester Catholic) cut down in a collision at the plate earlier in the inning.

“There were opportunities; I think we could have put the game away and we just didn’t do it,” Gore said. “You can’t do that in all-star caliber kind of baseball. Give credit to them for what they did and being able to withstand and make some plays when they needed to make some plays. 

“You have to execute in some situations. There were some things we’d like to have back to do but we didn’t, but you can’t fault anybody’s effort or anything like that. These kids have given up three weeks of the summer to represent the Tri-Cape franchise and I couldn’t be any prouder of a group of kids.”

InterAc started Tague Davis (Malvern Prep), the son of former major-leaguer and Phillies studio host Ben Davis, and Tri-Cape countered with Miami commitment Tate DeRias (Gloucester Catholic). Both pitched the first three innings. Davis gave up two hits, an unearned run and struck out five. DeRias pitched three no-hit innings.

Tri-Cape’s first three pitchers threw seven shutout innings, giving up four hits and one walk.

“It feels really good getting a chance to go out there and throw (in a major-league stadium),” DeRias said. “You step on the mound and it’s kind of like, ‘Wow, this is where all the pros play, this is where the guys I look up to pitch.

“It’s pretty cool to soak it in and go out there and throw three hitless innings. Not many guys might have the chance of that happening in the future, so hopefully it was taste of the future for me. I’d love to come back as a major league ballplayer and pitch (here).

”All three Salem County players batted in the game.O’Brien (first base) and Chase Burchfield (designated hitter) drew starts and Schalick’s Luke Pokrovsky went into right field late in the game and chased down Kirschner’s game-tying double in the eighth.

O’Brien was a last-minute addition to the starting lineup and went 1-for-2. He drove in Tri-Cape’s second run of the game with a single in the fourth after fouling off three straight payoff pitches. He went 3-for-7 with two RBIs in the tournament.

“It was awesome,” he said. “I was up in a big spot, man on third, one out and I was refusing to strike out. I knew I had to put a ball in play and try to make things happen and that’s what I did and got the RBI.”

Burchfield was 0-for-2 and Pokrovsky, who pitched in each of Tri-Cape’s first three games and was given his first chance to hit Wednesday, went 0-for-1 and hit by a pitch.

Carpenter Cup Championship Game
InterAc 3, Tri-Cape 2

Tri-Cape001100000-281
InterAc000000021-372
One out when winning run scored.

WP: Hunter West (1-0). LP: William Grayson (0-1). 2B: Hunter Ray (TC), Jack Mustaro (TC), Sergio Droz (TC), Cole Kirschner (IA).

InterAc’s Lucas Albert slides head first into the plate with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. (Photo courtesy of The Phillies)

Cover photo: The players from the InterAc All-Stars raise the Carpenter Cup after beating Tri-Cape in the tournament championship game. (The Phillies/Miles Kennedy)

Back in the finals

Pennsville’s O’Brien plays big role in eighth-inning rally that sends Tri-Cape to Carpenter Cup finals for fourth year in a row

CARPENTER CUP
Tuesday’s semifinals
at Citizens Bank Park
InterAc 5, Jersey Shore 4
Tri-Cape 6, Delaware County 3
Championship Wednesday
at Citizens Bank Park
InterAc vs. Tri-Cape, 9:30 a.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PHILADELPHIA — Peyton O’Brien never took part in Kids Run The Bases at Citizens Bank Park when he was growing up, but given the chance Tuesday afternoon, he ran like the wind.

The rising Pennsville senior might not have the wheels of Trea Turner, but his Bryce Harper-like base-running savvy played a big part in the eighth-inning rally that lifted his Tri-Cape All-Stars past Delaware County 6-3 and into the Carpenter Cup championship game for the fourth year in a row.

Tri-Cape will play the InterAc/Independent stars in CBP Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. They raised the Cup in 2021 and 2022 and lost in the title game last year.

“Man, it’s awesome,” O’Brien said. “For one, to just be able to play in this park and, two, to be to be able to play for something makes it’s even better.”

The Tri-Cape/Delco game was tied at 3 after Delco scored twice in the top of the eighth, but Tri-Cape answered quickly in what manager D.J. Gore called “the epitome” of the secret to the program’s success in this four-year run: Buying into what the coaches ask the players to do.

Hunter Ray (Lower Cape May) led off the bottom half of inning with a walk and with one out O’Brien, who entered the game in the sixth for starting Pennsville teammate Chase Burchfield, sent a shot into right centerfield for his second hit of the tournament. Ray drew a throw to third and O’Brien smartly took the extra base when the infielders drifted away from the bag.

Zach Maxwell (Delsea) then dropped a “terrific” bunt in front of the plate that Gore called the difference in the game. Delco third baseman Harrison Maull charged and tried to backhand flip it toward home, but the ball sailed well past the catcher allowing Ray to score the go-ahead run. O’Brien kept coming and slid in well ahead of the ball getting back to the pitcher covering to make it 5-3.

“I always try to stay aggressive,” O’Brien said. “I might not be the fastest kid, but whenever I can get an extra bag I try to take it and try to do my best on the bases because that’s a big asset in the game that people forget about.

“On the ball I hit I was just trying to get an extra bag. I took a peek at second and saw there was no one covering and I thought the outfielder was going to try to throw the guy out at third so I knew I had an advantage so I took the extra bag. (On the bunt) I was down to third as quick as I could and as soon as I saw that ball go by the catcher I didn’t think twice, I just went straight home.”

“It was good baserunning,” Gore said. “It was a good baseball play.”

The burst of speed certainly impressed O’Brien’s teammates.

“I just think he must have been put on the treadmill lately,” Burchfield said. “He can run now.”

Burchfield drew the start at DH and reached base in both his plate appearances after falling behind 0-2 in both at-bats. He coaxed a walk in the third inning and scored Tri-Cape’s first run and singled to left to load the bases in the fourth.

“I went down 0-2 and I knew I just had to put something in play,” he said. “I didn’t want to strike out on three pitches; I was like I’ve got to work an at-bat here. It landed in the right spot, so it felt pretty good. I wasn’t nervous. I thought it was pretty fun to be out here and get a hit.”

Schalick’s Luke Pokrovsky threw an inning out of the bullpen. He got Tri-Cape out of a jam in the sixth, but left with two on and one out in the seventh.

He replaced Travis Large (Ocean City) after Campbell McCormack one-hopped the fence to plate Delco’s first run. He put the tying run on base with a walk, but got out of the trouble with an fielder’s choice that put runners at the corners and an inning-ending strikeout.

His seventh started well with a ground out to first, but he was lifted after a walk and a single. Nate Bott (Kingsway) put out that fire and wound up getting the win.

“I was kind of nervous (but) no more nervous than other places, like normal ball parks,” Pokrovsky said. “I just tried to throw strikes, but I was pulling off a lot.”

It was likely the left-hander’s final pitching outing of the tournament as Gore said he would be used as a position player/hitter in the championship game. Pokrovsky has pitched in all three of Tri-Cape’s tournaments games thus far. In 3 2/3 innings he allowed two hits, no runs and struck out five.

After today we’re going to be able to flip Luke to be able to hit tomorrow so we’re going to look to see that side of him,” Gore said. “I know that’s a really special side. He’s done a really good job for us on the mound, but he’ll be a position player for us tomorrow.”

In the other semifinal, InterAc scored four runs in the ninth inning to take the lead, then held off a rally in the bottom of the ninth to eliminate defending champion Jersey Shore 5-4. They will be playing in the championship game for the first time.

Tri-Cape 6, Delaware County 3

Delaware County000001020-374
Tri-Cape00102003X-671
WP: Nate Bott (1-0). LP: Sabo Graham (0-1). S: Benedetto Andreoli (1). 2B: Campbell McCormack (DC), James Quici (DC).

InterAc 5, Jersey Shore 4

Inter-Ac000001004-561
Jersey Shore000100201-451
WP: D.J. Peterson (1-0). LP: Dylan Shaffer (0-1). 2B: Tague Davis (IA), Joe Maier (JS). 3B: Tommy Markey (IA)

Well-armed Pennsville

Pennsville All-Stars edge Elmer 5-3, go 2-0 in District 3 Little League Tournament for first time since winning the title in 2019

DISTRICT 3 TOURNAMENT
MONDAY’s GAMES
Pennsville 5, Elmer 3
South Vineland 17, Bridgeton 1
West Cumberland 6, Penns Grove 2

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

ELMER – Pennsville All-Stars manager Stephen Pangle went with a three-armed pitching plan in his team’s District 3 Little League Tournament opener because of the oppressive heat and it produced the program’s first tournament win since 2019.

He went with the same approach Monday in a game that was 14 degrees cooler at the start and windier – with the same pitchers, in the same order – and it netted a 5-3 victory over the Elmer LL All-Stars that put them in prime position to advance out of the American Division.

They’re now tied atop the division with South Vineland and have wins over current No. 3 Buena and T-4 Elmer. The teams play for the top seed in the division Thursday at South Vineland, where Pennsville could potentially use the three-armed approach again.

“It wasn’t the plan in the beginning, but it worked so well in the first game we figured why not try it again the next game and it worked,” Pangle said. “But you could see our middle pitching starting to struggle a little bit, so we went to our third pitching a little bit earlier than we would have liked, but it ended up working out.” 

JoJo Mannino started for the second game in a row, worked the first two innings, threw 52 pitches, allowed one hit and struck out four. Caiden Colomy had the middle two, threw 25 pitches and allowed one hit. Nate Morrison close it again, throwing 31 pitches over the final two innings and striking out three.

In the first two games of the tournament the trio has given up four runs, seven hits and struck out and struck out 18.

“It’s worked out wonderful,” Colomy said.

“I think we’re dominating; we’re unstoppable if we all just work together and do whatever we needed,” Mannino said. “We’re an unstoppable trio.”

It didn’t start well for them – Elmer scored three runs in the first inning off Mannino – but over the next five frames, the three pitchers kept their hosts off the board on one more hit – a bunt single.

It gave Pennsville the chance it needed to come back. Colomy gave Pennsville a 4-3 lead with a two-run single in the fifth inning and Mannino provided an insurance run with a leadoff homer in the sixth. 

It was a 3-2 game going into the fifth. Lauden Tighe got the go-ahead rally started with a pop single that fell into short right field. “If we didn’t get that hit in that spot, we may not have won that game,” Pangle said.

Morrison reached on a two-out error that put runners at second and third and Colomy brought them both home with a sharp single through the hole at short for a 4-3 lead. Colomy and Tighe both doubled earlier in the game. 

“I was just trying to drive them home,” Colomy said. “I just wanted to get a good hit to the outfield and drive them in.”

Grayson Bingham pitched a complete game for Elmer. He threw 82 pitches, gave up seven hits and struck out three. “He threw an incredible game,” Elmer manager Matt Schneider said. “Any day of the week you’d take that pitching outing right there.”

Elmer scored its three runs in the first inning with the benefit of just one hit – a 23-foot single by Easton Aulffo with the bases loaded that gave his team a 2-1 lead. They scored their first run on an error and their third run when Raylan Baldissaro was hit by a pitch right after Aulffo’s short single.

But they managed only five more base runners the rest of the game, three who got in scoring position, but none past second base. Two of the runners were put out at third.

“We came out urgent and then kind of stood on our laurels,” Schneider said. “We got up early and just took our foot off the gas. They made the hits when they needed to and we didn’t. All the credit in the world to those kids. They played all 18 outs and they deserved to win.”

Pennsville 5, Elmer 3

Pennsville110021-572
Elmer300000-322
WP: Caiden Colomy (1-0). LP: Grayson Bingham (0-1). S: Nate Morrison (2). 2B: Lauden Tighe (P), Caiden Colomy (P). HR: JoJo Mannino (P).

District 3 LL Tournament

AMERICAN WLRUNSNATIONALWLRUNS
Pennsville208-4E. Vineland2021-10
S. Vineland2024-7Millville Amer1113-12
Buena1113-3W. Cumberland1110-8
Elmer029-12Penns Grove025-18
Bridgeton021-29

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
Elmer at Bridgeton, 5:45 p.m.
East Vineland at West Cumberland, 5:45 p.m.
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Pennsville at South Vineland, 5:45 p.m.
FRIDAY’S GAMES
South Vineland at Buena, 5:45 p.m.
Penns Grove at Millville American, 5:45 p.m.
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Pennsville at Bridgeton, 5 p.m.
Elmer at Buena, 5 p.m.

District 3 LL 12U

East Vineland takes upper hand in National Division with an 8-7 walk-off win over Millville American; game ended on an RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh

District 3 LL Tournament

AMERICAN WLRUNSNATIONALWLRUNS
Pennsville103-1E. Vineland2021-10
S. Vineland107-6Millville Amer1113-12
Buena1113-3W. Cumberland014-6
Elmer016-7Penns Grove013-12
Bridgeton010-12

SUNDAY’S GAME
East Vineland 8. Millville American 7 (7 inns.)
MONDAY’S GAMES
Bridgeton at South Vineland, 5:45 p.m.
Pennsville at Elmer, 5:45 p.m.
West Cumberland at Penns Grove, 5:45 p.m.

Historic start

UPDATED

Pennsville 12U All-Stars on game in all three phases, beat Buena in District 3 LL Tournament opener for first tournament win in five years

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – The temperature on McLaughlin Field at first pitch was pushing 100 and the Pennsville All-Stars came out on fire.

The last team to play in the tournament this year was on point in all three phases of the game in its District 3 Little League Tournament opener Saturday and parlayed it into an historic 3-1 victory over Buena.

UPDATED INFO: It was their first win in the district tournament since 2019, when they swept the title in six games, and their first Little League Tournament win since taking their first elimination game in the 2019 section tournament. They had lost their last nine tournament games. There was no tournament in 2020.

“It’s a big step for Pennsville Little League baseball; it’s been a while,” manager Stephen Pangle said. “It puts our confidence right where it needs to be.

“Knowing the last couple years we have been winless for 12U and coming in and being able to get that first game, first win, just shows how much hard work they’ve put in the past three weeks to get where they’re at today.”

Pennsville got clutch performances from every element of its team. Three pitchers combined to hold a Buena bunch that scored 12 runs in its opener to one run and five hits with Nate Morrison locking down the final 2 1/3 innings for the save.

The pitchers were supported by strong defense that included several nice plays from second baseman Owen Whalen and a nifty unassisted double play by centerfielder Nathan Breeden to end the fifth inning.

Offensively, they got two hits apiece from Morrison and Breeden, an RBI single from Caiden Colomy in the third inning and a long solo homer by John Swiderski in the fourth that answered Buena’s run in the top of the inning. They never trailed.

“They were just ready to battle, they were ready to go,” Pangle said. “We looked like a well-oiled machine out there today. Everybody was doing their part. Everybody did what they were supposed to do. Everybody did their job. That was the biggest thing.

“We preach during practice all we want you to do is do your job … and they were able to deliver on that.”

Pennsville’s plan to go with three pitchers was predicated by the heat, giving each about 35 pitches to keep them from overworking. JoJo Mannino started and turned back a couple threats in his two innings. Colomy followed him and stayed until an two-out RBI triple by Cash Myers brought home Buena’s run on a close play at the plate.

Morrison came on at that point and, with Myers representing the tying run at the time, struck out the first hitter he faced on four pitches to end the inning. And then he finished the game, striking out the side in the sixth with the tying run at the plate.

“He’s a big-time pitcher,” Pangle said. “He pitches for me during our Little League season so I know what he’s capable of doing, and I know he’s able to throw strikes, throw heat, and have different pitches to throw them off balance.”

“(The mindset entering the game) was just to get out of the inning, to get that one out so the runner doesn’t score and help the team out,” Morrison said. “I really wanted to close out the game. When I start I really want to close it out as far as I can go.”

It didn’t take long for Pennsville to get the run back. Swiderski led off the bottom of the fourth with a long homer. It was his 16th of the summer and wasn’t even the longest one he’d hit this summer.

“Off the bat I knew it was gone because he crushed that,” Morrison said.

“If they hit you, you hit them back harder,” Swiderski said. “I was sitting on that curveball because I knew he had a good curve. I knew it was going to be first-pitch fastball and I was sitting on that curveball for my second pitch and went with my hitting mechanics I’ve been doing forever and I just drove the ball.”

And it drove Pennsville to an historic win.

Cover photo: Nate Morrison delivers a pitch to the final batter in Pennsville’s 3-1 District 3 Tournament win over Buena Saturday.

Pennsville 3, Buena 1

Buena000100–151
Pennsville10110X–362
WP: JoJo Mannino (1-0). LP: Dom Wargo (1-1). 2B: Nate Morrison (P). 3B: Cash Myers (B). HR: John Swiderski (P).

District 3 LL Tournament

AMERICAN WLRUNSNATIONALWLRUNS
Pennsville103-1E. Vineland1013-3
S. Vineland107-6Millville Amer106-4
Buena1113-3W. Cumberland014-6
Elmer016-7Penns Grove013-12
Bridgeton010-12

SATURDAY’S GAME
Pennsville 3, Buena 1
SUNDAY’S GAME
Millville American at East Vineland, 5 p.m.
MONDAY’S GAMES
Bridgeton at South Vineland, 5:45 p.m.
Pennsville at Elmer, 5:45 p.m.
West Cumberland at Penns Grove, 5:45 p.m.

Game of inches

South Vineland rallies for four in fifth to take the lead, then turns back an Elmer rally in the sixth in the District 3 Little League Tournament

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

ELMER – Baseball, they say, is a game of inches and that’s literally how close the Elmer All-Stars came to winning their District 3 Little League Tournament opener Friday night.

South Vineland staged a fifth-inning rally to take the lead and then turned back Elmer in the sixth with leftfielder Kayden Potts stretching out to snare the final out with the go-ahead runs in scoring position to preserve a 7-6 victory.

Elmer’s Adam McGovern came to the plate with two outs in the sixth, one run already home, the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second. He worked the count to 3-0 and manager Matt Schneider gave him the green light.

McGovern hit the ball solidly and it looked headed to the gap to give Elmer a momentum-stealing lead. Potts, a usual pitcher and catcher given the start in the outfield on a last-minute coach’s hunch, raced over and snatched the fly out of the air before it could cause any damage.

A few inches over and it would’ve given Elmer the lead. Instead, the next thing you knew the teams were going through the handshake line.

“The kids never hung their heads,” Schneider said. “Baseball’s a game of inches. We went out there, put charges in the ball and stayed in the game and ultimately gave ourselves a chance at the end there and that’s all you can ask for.”

Given the situation Schneider didn’t think giving McGovern the green light when South Vineland reliever Elijuah Perez had just walked Mateo Cummings ahead of him was a risk.

“At that point in the game you get the pitch you can drive and we go for it,” Schneider said. “Normally, yeah, you want to play (the percentages), but we had the momentum, he got a pitch he could drive and he drove it, but right to the guy. Sometimes you’ve got throw those fundamentals out the window when you get a pitch you can groove.”

“In travel I hit my first home run off a 3-0,” McGovern said. “I thought (this one) I had too much loft on it and I got under it too much. I was just thinking make it to the outfield and see what happens.”

McGovern had a softer swing two innings earlier that netted his team a better result. His slow roller with the bases loaded died in the infield grass for an RBI single that put Elmer ahead 4-3.

“I was really happy (about that) because I’d been on a slump,” he said.

The close calls weren’t just limited to Elmer. South Vineland retook the lead with two outs in the fifth on back-to-back run-scoring doubles by Joel Rodriguez and Perez that both were just out of the reach of Elmer centerfielder Clayton Bishop. They scored their two runs in the first inning with two outs, too.

“To be honest, that’s what we do,” South Vineland manager Hiram Cordero said. “We’re like a two-out team. It’s like when we have two outs that’s when the team wakes up because you have not room for error. That was a good team. Everybody who went up was hitting it. I was telling the guys that’s the way to win – to hit the ball.”

Elmer was the visitor in its own park and took the first lead in the game on Chase Moir’s two-out RBI double in the first inning. McGovern’s run-scoring slow roller was part of a three-run fourth and Elmer extended its lead to 5-3 in the fifth on Ryan Schneider’s RBI ground out.

“If you like baseball that was a fun game to watch, regardless of the outcome,” Matt Schneider said. “We were on the losing end of that, but we told the guys there are good wins and there are good losses and that was a good loss. We were never out of that game to the end.

“Now we’ve got the weekend (free). We told the guys clear their heads; you’ve got to have the memory of a goldfish. Monday we come back (at home against Pennsville). We’re going to play hard, we’re going to go at them and we’re going to attack them like we do.”

South Vineland 7, Elmer 6

Elmer100311–6103
South Vineland21004X–792
WP: Elijuah Perez (1-0). LP: Brandon D’Agostino (0-1). 2B: Chase Moir (E); Joel Rodriguez (SV), Elijuah Perez (SV), Mylus Moore (SV). 3B: Ronald Leverette (SV).

District 3 LL Tournament

AMERICAN DIV.WLRF-RANATIONAL DIV.WLRF-RA
Buena1012-0East Vineland1013-3
South Vineland107-6Millville American106-4
Pennsville000-0West Cumberland014-6
Elmer016-7Penns Grove013-13
Bridgeton010-12

FRIDAY’S GAMES
South Vineland 7, Elmer 6
Millville American 6, West Cumberland 4
SATURDAY’S GAME
Buena at Pennsville, 5 p.m.
SUNDAY’S GAME
Millville American at East Vineland, 5 p.m.
MONDAY’S GAMES
Bridgeton at South Vineland, 5:45 p.m.
Pennsville at Elmer, 5:45 p.m.
West Cumberland at Penns Grove, 5:45 p.m.

Starting strong

Candelario, Perkins hit and pitch East Vineland All-Stars to 13-3 victory over Penns Grove in District 3 LL Tournament opener

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – Jim Smith is confident his East Vineland Little League All-Stars have all the ingredients to be a dominant team in the District 3 LL Tournament and have a nice run up the line.

Decorum, of course, prevents him from actually saying it, but you can’t help think the manager fully believes it.

East Vineland wasted no time putting those pieces on display Thursday, pounding 14 hits overall – eight for extra bases – regularly stealing or taking the extra base and holding their hosts to three hits in a 13-3 Opening Night win over Penns Grove.

“I’ve got a lot of strong bats on the team, a lot of speed on the team and pitching depth,” Smith said. “We’ve got a 1-2-3 (rotation); I think we only saw the 1-2.

“Our bats are really what jumped out for everything. I was getting hits through my entire lineup and that’s what we work on. And baserunning, too.”

Carter Perkins and Enzo Candelario led the way on the mound and at the plate. Candelario went 4-for-4 with two homers and two ground-rule doubles. Perkins had two doubles, a first-pitch leadoff triple and scored four runs. And they combined for the three-hitter with 10 strikeouts off the mound.

Perkins opened the game with a triple on the first pitch and stole home under the nose of the pitcher and catcher. He doubled in the third, stole third and scored when the toss back to the pitcher got away. His speed also created runs in the fifth and sixth.

Candelario hit ground-rule doubles in the first and sixth innings and launched long solo homers in the third and fifth. He now has 40 homers this summer between rec ball, travel ball and the tournament with a goal of hitting 50 for the year.

“They (Perkins and Candelario) were on the team I played in the (league) championship,” Smith said. “We won the first game, but lost the second and third. I tried to pitch around them and there is no pitching around them.”

“I felt good today,” Candelario said. “I made hard contact with the ball. When I go to the plate I look to get a hard hit.”

“He just hits bombs,” said Perkins.

“Give all the credit in the world to that team,” Penns Grove manager B.J. Painter said. “They’re stacked, especially the first half of that lineup. And you can’t say enough about 33 (Candelario). We couldn’t get away from him on either side of the ball. I knew they were coming with three really good players and they absolutely lived up to it today.”

The winners opened a 5-0 lead in the third, but the Killer Ps – Carneys Point, Penns Grove and Pedricktown – scored three in the home half of the inning when Zac Dordell drew a bases-loaded walk to end Candelario’s day on the mound and Bryce Painter greeted Perkins with a two-run single.

They looked to have something going with one out in the sixth, but Perkins got out of it with a game-ending double play started by Candelario.

“I knew we could hang with these guys,” Painter said. “Unfortunately the next inning when we were on offense we had a four-pitch inning that was one of those that takes a little bit of air out of the sails.“We’re going to use this as a learning experience. We’ve got another game Monday (against West Cumberland at the Carneys Point Rec Park) and we’re going to come out ready to play.”

Cover photo: East Vineland’s Enzo Candelario hit two homers and a pair of doubles, pitched the first 2 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and started the game-ending double play Thursday night.

East Vineland 13, Penns Grove 3

East Vineland212152–13143
Penns Grove003000–334
WP: Enzo Canderlario (1-0). LP: Achillus Vong (0-1). 2B: Carter Perkins 2 (EV), Enzo Canderlario 2 (EV), Chase Hassler (PG). 3B: Carter Perkins (EV), Barry Garcia (EV). HR: Enzo Candelario 2 (EV).

District 3 LL Tournament

AMERICAN DIV.WLRF-RANATIONAL DIV.WLRF-RA
Buena1012-0East Vineland1013-3
Elmer000-0Millville American000-0
Pennsville000-0West Cumberland000-0
South Vineland000-0Penns Grove013-13
Bridgeton010-12

THURSDAY’S GAMES
East Vineland 13, Penns Grove 3
Buena 12, Bridgeton 0
FRIDAY’S GAMES
South Vineland at Elmer, 5:45 p.m.
Millville American at West Cumberland, 5:45 p.m.
SATURDAY’S GAME
Buena at Pennsville, 5 p.m.



Back to the Bank

Tri-Cape All-Stars score second win in Carpenter Cup, reach semifinals in Citizens Bank Park for fourth year in a row; all 3 Salem County players contribute

CARPENTER CUP
Thursday’s Games
Urban Youth Academy Fields, FDR Park
Inter-Ac/Independents 18, SEPA 5
Jersey Shore 9, Chester County 6
Tri-Cape 5, Philadelphia Catholic 2
Delaware County 10, Philadelphia Public 9

June 24 Semifinals
At Citizens Bank Park
Inter-Ac/Independents vs. Jersey Shore, 9 a.m.
Tri-Cape vs. Delaware County, 12:30 p.m.

June 25 Championship Game
At Citizens Bank Park
Semifinal winners, 9:30 a.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PHILADELPHIA – D.J. Gore has taken the Tri-Cape All-Stars to the Carpenter Cup rounds in Citizens Bank Park so much the last couple years he could probably set up shop next to Rob Thomson’s office and nobody in the Phillies’ organization would think twice.

Meanwhile, the three Salem County players on the team have all been in the Bank before but never from the place they’ll be come next Monday.

The Tri-County/Cape Atlantic League stars coached by Gore punched their ticket to the Carpenter Cup semifinals for the fourth year in a row Thursday when they beat the Philadelphia Catholic League 5-2 on the Dick Allen Urban Youth Academy Field in FDR Park.

They’ll now play the Delaware County stars in the 12:30 p.m. June 24 semifinal at Citizens Park Bank, looking to reach the finals for the fourth year in a row. Inter-Ac/Independents will play Jersey Shore in the 9 a.m. semifinal. Jersey Shore beat Tri-Cape in last year’s championship game. The finals are 9:30 a.m. June 25.

“We’ve been fortunate because we’ve had a run of really good, successful kids and they’re extremely talented,” said Gore, the head coach at Highland Regional. “It really is easy to have them in the dugout. That’s how we’ve been able to have the success that we’ve been able to have.

“It’s always a big deal to get a new group of kids there. There are probably 10 kids who haven’t been there, so you get a new group to experience Citizens Bank Park and were all still probably little boys at heart so any time you can walk on the field and get on the field and get into the bullpens, get on the home plate, the pitching mound, it’s a memory that lasts a lifetime.”

All three of the Salem County players on the team – Pennsville’s Peyton O’Brien and Chase Burchifield and Schalick’s Luke Pokrovsky – have been in Citizens Bank Park before. O’Brien has even been on the field once for a meet-the-players session, but for the most part all of their experience has been from the stands.

Now, they’ll be able to experience it from a whole different perspective.

“That’s going to be really cool,” Burchfield said. “I’m going to have to take some videos of that.”

“It’s going to be crazy,” O’Brien said. “A field you grew up watching, now you have the opportunity to play on that field, it’s going to be awesome.”

Pokrovsky hadn’t really given any thought to throwing of the CBP mound before, but after Thursday’s win, he said, “I’m going to start thinking about it now.”

“We have a really good team,” he said. “I feel like we’re going to win the next one and get to the championship.”

All three Salem players played a part in Thursday’s victory.

O’Brien and Burchfield each collected their first hit of the series in the sixth inning. Burchfield beat out an infield single to third with one out and in somewhat a reversal of fortunes, O’Brien punched an opposite-field single into left to score his high school teammate and extended Tri-Cape’s lead to 4-1. 

During the high school season it was usually Burchfield, the Eagles’ cleanup hitter, knocking in O’Brien, who hit third.

“Tuesday I struck out with a guy on third base and I was not happy about it,” O’Brien said. “I wanted to get a run home, so I tried to do whatever I could and put the ball in play and it found a spot. To be able to hit him in is awesome.”

“It was pretty cool to have that happen, especially in this game where not all of us are from the same (high school) team.”

Pokrovsky pitched for the second game in a row. This time, instead of finishing the game, the left-hander pitched two innings of one-hit shutout middle relief immediately behind starter and winner Tate DeRias (Gloucester Catholic/Miami).

Pokrovsky was lifted in mid-count for Mainland’s Brady Blum after putting the first two runners on in the sixth, but, in one of the biggest moments of the game, after he loaded the bases with none out Blum got out of the jam with three straight strikeouts similar to what he did in the opener.

“Today was a lot better due to the fact I was more loose,” Pokrovsky said. “Tuesday I warmed up in the beginning of the game and it was like three hours later that I threw on the mound. Throwing in the middle of game it felt way better than Tuesday.”

The PCL stars hit DeRias’ first pitch for a triple and scored a run in the first inning, but got not more. They were 2-for-21 with runners on base, 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 13 runners on base.

Tri-Cape took the lead with three in the second. They tied the game on an RBI infield single by Chris Smith (Washington Twp.), took the lead when Hunter Ray (Lower Cape May) scored on a wild pitch and extended the lead on another RBI infield single by Evan Taylor (Ocean City).

“it’s fun playing with all these kids,” Burchfield said. “You know they’re all so good. I feel like I’ll be up to bat and the next thing I’ll be right back up because all the kids are hitting. It’s fun.”

Phila. Catholic (1-1)100000001-270
Tri-Cape (2-0)03000101X-5111

WP: Tate DeRias (1-0). LP: Kyle Tuthill (0-1). S: Matt Kouser (1). 2B: Noah Danza (TC), Jake Cagna (TC), Frank Master (TC). RBI-Phila. Catholic: Harry Carr, Michael Coleman; Tri-Cape: Evan Taylor, Noah Danza, Peyton O’Brien, Chris Smith.

Cover photo: Pennsville’s Peyton O’Brien is poised to take a cut during his plate appearance for the Tri-Cape All-Stars in the eighth inning of Thursday’s Carpenter Cup game.

Tri-Cape wins opener

Combo league stars drill Burlco 13-6, all 3 Salem County stars play, give ‘solid’ performances

CARPENTER CUP BASEBALL CLASSIC
Tuesday’s Results
Urban Youth Academy Fields, FDR Park
Philadelphia Catholic 4, Bux-Mont 1
Tri-Cape 13, Burlington County 6
Philadelphia Public 4, Delaware North 3
Delaware County 6, Delaware South 3
Thursday’s Games
Urban Youth Academy Fields, FDR Park
Inter-Ac/Independents vs. SEPA, 9 a.m. (Dick Allen Field)
Chester County vs. Jersey Shore, 10:30 a.m. (Richie Ashburn Field)
Philadelphia Catholic vs. Tri-Cape, 12:30 p.m. (Dick Allen Field)
Philadelphia Public vs. Delaware County, 2 p.m. (Richie Ashburn Field)

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PHILADELPHIA – It just goes to show the kind of team the Tri-Cape all-stars draft every year when they don’t get to work out together before they play in the Carpenter Cup and then have the kind of success they enjoy in the tournament.

The Tri-Cape stars’ opened their bid for a fourth straight trip to the Carpenter Cup championship game Monday with a 13-6 win over Burlington County on the Urban Youth Academy Fields at FDR Park.

In the highest-scoring game of the opening round, the Tri-Cape stars pounded 14 hits and scored almost as many runs as the day’s other three winners combined. They answered Burlco’s three-run third with seven runs in the bottom of the inning to take control.

Actually, in all three innings Burlington scored Tri-Cape answered with at least one run to maintain its lead. 

“We’ve never done it,” Tri-Cape manager D.J. Gore said of a pre-tournament practice. “It’s not that we wouldn’t like to, but at the same time Gloucester Catholic, Delsea, St. Augustine are playing in state championship games on Friday and Saturday and that takes precedent. This is a showcase. It’s to represent our two conferences.

“They’re all-star caliber kids,. They’re All-South Jersey kids. They’re kids that hit most likely in their high-school lineup either first, second, third or fourth, and you have a collection of them. They’re the best of what I think we have to offer in the Tri-County/Cape Atlantic Conferences.  (The result) is a byproduct of that.”

You can’t argue with their results. Tri-Cape has been a fixture in the finals, nailing down the title in 2021 and 2022 and playing for it again last year.

All three Salem County players on this year’s Tri-Cape roster – Schalick’s Luke Pokrovsky and Pennsville teammates Chase Burchfield and Peyton O’Brien – got in the opener and gave what Gore called  “a solid performance.”

Pokrovsky was the last of seven pitchers Gore used in the game. The Cougars’ junior left-hander got the final two outs to preserve the victory. He faced two batters, walked one and struck out one. One of his outs was recorded at the plate.

He was part of a back end of the Tri-Cape bullpen that pitched four shutout innings and allowed just three hits and a walk. Mainland senior Brady Blum struck out all three batters he faced in an eighth-inning jam. St. Augustine senior J.P. Podgorski worked the first three innings and was credited with the win.

“The idea behind it all was with Luke you need to be able to close games out and we needed to be able to be in a position to where we had an elite arm at the end of the game because at one point it was an 8-6 game,” Gore said. 

Burchfield was hitless in three at-bats off the bench as the designated hitter, but he hit the ball hard all three times he came to the plate and drove in a run. One of the his rockets was misplayed in centerfield for an error. He almost beat out a grounder in the infield in his last at-bat.

O’Brien played first base and went 0-for-1 with a walk. Still, it was a red-letter day for the Eagles junior. On top of being part of the deepest team he’s ever played on, it was his 17th birthday and he passed his driver’s test before arriving at the ballpark.

“It was awesome,” O’Brien said. “There were a lot of good players out there and it was a really cool experience. I can’t speak for everybody else, but me and Chase were extremely honored to get the chance to go out there and play for Tri-Cape because we know how big a deal it is.”

Despite having a freshly printed New Jersey driver’s license in his back pocket, O’Brien didn’t drive himself to the game.

“My dad wasn’t ready for that yet,” he said.

The team now now plays the Philadelphia Catholic League stars Thursday at 12:30 p.m. The winner gets a spot in Monday’s semifinals in Citizens Bank Park. The PCL stars advanced with a 4-1 one-hitter over Bux-Mont.

Gore’s plan is to have a similar approach with his pitchers.

“We’re going to get some guys back who we didn’t have available today,” he said. “It’s the next game to win. This next game is what gets you into Citizens Bank Park, which has always been the No. 1 goal: To get these kids on that field, give them that experience in a major-league stadium.“

As for the newest driver on the team, he probably has a better chance driving home a run Thursday than driving to the game.

“It’s still up in the air,” O’Brien said, “but I’m guessing probably not.”

Burlington County003120000-6104
Tri-Cape00711031X-13143

WP: J.P. Podgorski (1-0). LP: Ben Hudson (0-1). 2B: Andrew Shank (BC), Guy Lynam (TC). 3B: Noah Danza (TC). RBI-Burlington County: Reid Uccello, Andrew Shank 2, Nick Merunka; Tri-Cape: Frank Master 2, Evan Taylor, Jack Mustaro, Tommy Popoff 2, Jake Slusarski 2, Ryan Manning, Jake Meyers, Matt Johansen, Ethan Mitnick, Chase Burchfield.

Tri-Cape trio

Salem County puts 3 players on this year’s Tri-Cape Carpenter Cup baseball roster, team opens play vs. Burlington County June 11; softball opens June 17

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

Schalick pitcher Luke Pokrovsky will extend a unique family legacy next week as joins his two older brothers in playing on the Tri-Cape Carpenter Cup baseball team.

Pokrovsky is joined by Pennsville teammates Peyton O’Brien and Chase Burchfield as the Salem County representatives on the 25-man Tri-Cape roster that once again is expected to contend for the Cup.

The combo league’s all-stars have been in the final each of the last three years, winning it in 2021 and ’22. This year’s team opens the tournament against Burlington County at 10 a.m. June 11 on the Richie Ashburn Field at FDR Park. A win sends them to play either Philadelphia Catholic or Bux-Mont at 12:30 p.m. June 13, with that winner heading to the Final Four in Citizens Bank Park.

Pokrovsky, a junior left-handed pitcher, is the third member of his family to play for the team, joining older brothers Staus and Jarrett in the classic.

“One of the cool things with doing this a long time, and I don’t know this to be 100 percent factual, but I don’t know if anybody’s ever gone through three sets of brothers,” Tri-Cape head coach D.J. Gore said. “This will be the third Pokrovsky who has played in the Carpenter Cup for us. I think it’s a pretty interesting fact.

“To have one son to excel in it is something. To have two is quite remarkable. But now there’s a third one. We’re looking to see him up close in person. I’ve seen him in a scrimmage, he pitched against us (Highland), but we’re looking to see in actual game-day live. He seems special. He seems like his two other brothers, but he’s also a little bit different because he’s a pitcher.”

All three Salem County all-stars had banner years for their South Jersey Group I playoff teams.

Pokrovsky made 12 appearances on the mound with 122 strikeouts and a 1.09 ERA in 57 2/3 innings. He struck out 16 three times (Gloucester, Overbrook, Paulsboro) and in one 20 2/3-, 10-day stretch fanned 44 and allowed four hits (with a no-hitter against Wildwood). He allowed one hit or less over six or more innings four times.

At the plate he batted .500 with 40 hits with six homers and 27 RBIs.

“You can play deep in this tournament because of your starting pitching,” Gore said. “Obviously over the past three years we’ve had really, really good starting pitching and that’s why we’ve been successful.”

Burchfield was the Eagles’ leading hitter with a .476 average and .707 slugging percentage. He had 39 hits, three homers and 39 RBIs. O’Brien was their second-leading hitter with a .439 average and .634 slugging percentage. He had 36 hits, 12 doubles, and 25 RBIs.

It’s the second year in a row Pennsville coach Matt Karr has had a player on the team and the first time in his tenure the Eagles have had multiple players. Luke Wood was on the team last year.

“The kids from Pennsville are both pretty special,” Gore said. “There’s always been a kid from Pennsville on there. To have multiple ones I think shows you what type of kid is down there right now.

“Statistically speaking, their numbers are off the charts and they play a really good schedule. You’re just looking to see them kind of mesh in this team environment with the 23 other guys who are on there.

“That’s the biggest thing, just getting these guys to mesh in together. For the most part we’re taking everybody’s best player off of their team and putting them into one team and just showing up for basically one day. You hope to win Game 1 that gets you to Game 2 and if you win two games you’re playing in Citizens Bank Park, which is the ultimate goal for all these kids to play there at least once.”

The Softball Carpenter Cup opens June 17. The Tri-Cape team plays Bracket B opponents Delaware South (noon), Inter-Ac (4 p.m.) and Philadelphia PCCAF (6 p.m.) the first day. The top two teams from each of the four brackets advance to the knockout round June 19.

Pennsville’s Beth Jackson and Schalick’s Rick Higinbotham will again serve on the coaching staff.

Here’s the Tri-Cape baseball roster:

PITCHERS: Matt Kouser (St. Augustine), J.P. Podgorski (St. Augustine), Travis Large (Ocean City); Tate DeRias (Gloucester Catholic), Frank Cairone (Delsea), Luke Pokrovsky (Schalick), Nate Bott (Kingsway).

INFIELDERS: Sergio Droz (Millville), Evan Taylor (Ocean City), Ethan Mitnick (Mainland), Jake Cagna (Egg Harbor Twp.), Jason Salsbery (Egg Harbor Twp.), Jack Mustaro (Gloucester Catholic), Noah Danza (Gloucester Catholic), Peyton O’Brien (Pennsville), Chris Smith (Washington Twp.).

OUTFIELDERS: Jake Meyers (St. Augustine), Ryan Manning (Cedar Creek), Hunter Ray (Lower Cape May), Jake Slusarski (Williamstown), Frank Master (Delsea), Zach Maxwell (Delsea), Chase Burchfield (Pennsville).

CATCHERS: Matt Johansen (Absegami), Tommy Popoff (Kingsway).